


Of Blood and Bone

by flibbertygigget



Series: The Other 51 [18]
Category: Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons)
Genre: Drugs, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Torture, hurt batman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-05
Updated: 2016-05-05
Packaged: 2018-06-06 11:38:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6752434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flibbertygigget/pseuds/flibbertygigget
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wally knew that when Batman came back through the door, he would be broken.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Blood and Bone

"What are the passcodes?" The hammer paised over Batman's fingers came down with a sickening crunch when Wally didn't answer. "What are the passcodes?"  _Crunch_. "What are the passcodes?" That time even Batman couldn't stifle a pained gasp.

"I don't know!" Wally ignored the disapproving look that Batman gave him. "I don't know, honest. Please stop hurting him!"

* * *

When he woke up, Wally wasn't worried.

Sure, he was strapped to a chair and his entire arm hurt from the IV drip that had been shoved in, but he'd gotten out of worse situations before. He just had to move each molecule fast enough to-

"You won't be able to get out." Wally looked over at Batman, who was handcuffed, arms above his head, to a pipe.

"Of course I'll be able to-"

"You won't. They've drugged you." Wally looked down at the IV drip again and growled, frustrated. "We'll have to wait for an opportunity to escape." Batman sounded calm, but he always sounded calm. Wally, on the other hand, was quietly freaking out.

"What? How'd they know how to subdue me? Who are these guys anyways? What do they want?"

"I don't know, I don't know, and I don't know," said Batman. "Whatever the answers are, they don't change our predicament. You're going to have to be patient. And for God's sake don't talk to them!"

"Alright, patient. I can do that." At that moment the door opened.

Batman narrowed his eyes at the two men who entered. They wore black ski masks, no chance of an ID, and one of them carried a crowbar with- was that dried blood on the end? Wally was beginning to feel sick.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" said the man without the crowbar. Wally opened his mouth to respond, but he was stopped by Batman's glare. Right. Don't talk. He could do that.

When it was clear that neither of them were going to speak, the man without the crowbar sighed.

"You know, life here will be much more pleasant if you simply tell up what we need to know. There's no need for Cal here to use his skills." He paused. "Fine, have it your way." He went over to Batman, and Wally felt his stomach clench, but when he got close enough Batman kicked him in the chest. The man fell backwards, sputtering. "Cal, teach him a lesson!"

Batman was somehow silent as Cal brought the crowbar down on his kneecap with a crack.

* * *

Wally had hoped that, since he was unable to use his other powers, his accelerated healing would be out as well, but there was no such luck. When the men found that out, they turned all their attention to Batman.

Wally hadn't actually ever seen Batman without his mask, without all the layers that separated him from everyone, and he had naturally always been curious. But he had never wanted to see it like this.

"I'm fine," Batman ground out through gritted teeth. Blood dripped down his chest from the deep cuts that Cal had made there, and it didn't take a genius to see that he wasn't fine, not at all.

"Why can't I just lie to them? I won't really tell them, but-"

"Wally." It didn't even surprise him that Batman knew his real name. "They've been putting some kind of truth serum in our water. I can taste it. If you open your mouth, you won't be able to stop."

"How badly are you hurt?"

"I've had worst." Somehow Wally could believe it. "Look, Flash, you can't give them anything, do you understand me? No matter what they do, we can't afford to give them whatever information they want."

"But what if-"

"No. Do you understand?" Wally nodded reluctantly, and Batman smiled through the pain. "Good. Don't worry, it's only a matter of time before they slip up and we can escape."

* * *

Wally was silent through the beatings that left Batman bruised and swollen. He was silent when they waterboarded him, almost drowning him. He was silent as he watched Batman grow weaker and weaker, with his dull eyes and sluggish words making him seem frighteningly human, until Wally couldn't do it any longer. 

They couldn't break Batman's hands, not like this. Wally know that they would damage them forever, that they would always tremble and fumble if he let them continue. He wouldn't let that happen.

"I don't know!" It was the truth, ripped from him even though he had tried to think up a lie. Wally looked away from Batman's disapproving gaze. "I don't know, honest. Please stop hurting him!"

"Is he telling the truth?" their captor barked at Batman. Batman was silent even as the hammer came down again. "Answer me, or we kill him."

"You won't," Batman said. "He's too valuable, as a hostage at the very least." The hammer came down again, and Batman let out a strangled scream. "I'm the only one who knows every one of the passcodes."

In an instant, the handcuffs were unhooked from the pipes and Batman was dragged from the room. Wally didn't even have time to scream for them to stop.

* * *

Batman was thrown back into the cell hours later, shaking, bloody, with broken hands and a burned back and- Wally came to a decision. they had to get out of there  _now,_ no matter what the cost.

"Are you alright?" he asked, hating the way his voice broke. Batman's lips moved confusedly for a moment, searching for the way to form words.

"Didn't- Didn't tell them-" He was cut off by a hacking cough that brought up globs of blood. Punctured lung, Wally knew it. 

"We're gonna get out of here. It's gonna be fine, you'll see." Batman coughed again, but this time Wally could see a faint smile on his face. His hand opened to reveal a glint of metal. "What's that?"

"Key. Your key." Wally's mouth dropped open. "Wait a- I just need to..." Batman dragged himself across the floor using his one good elbow, reaching up to fumble the IV out of Wally's arm and place the key in his hand. "Wait until the drug's out of your system."

"How long?" Batman shrugged.

"Should be able to feel it. Hide the- make sure they think the IV's still in your arm." By the end Batman's voice was a mere mumble.

When they took Batman away again. Wally didn't scream. He didn't want to throw away his shot.

* * *

Wally could feel it again. The Speedforce. It was around him, calling him, calling every atom of him to-

He wasn't able to vibrate out of the cuffs. They were some kind of super-dense metal. But once he got one hand free with the key he was able to escape easily enough.

Wally zipped through the halls of the place. He found his costume first, complete with the communicator. It wasn't long after that that he found Batman. It was easy. He just had to follow the sound of the screams. He vibrated through the door, unwilling to waste time figuring out how to open it. Batman was there.

Wally knocked out their captors almost without thinking, and then he took a closer look at Batman. It was sickening, worse than anything that Wally had ever seen. It seemed as though every inch of him was broken- broken skin, broken bones, burns from fire and water and electricity. Blood dripped from the side of his mouth where he had nearly bitten off his tongue trying to stay silent.

"Batman?" Batman flinched violently away from him, moaning in pain as he did so. "Bats, it's me. I won't hurt you."

"Didn't- Didn't-"

"I know, you did awesome. But we have to get moving." There wasn't a single place that Wally could touch him without pressing on some wound. As Wally picked him up, Batman let out a soft sob. "Sorry, sorry."

"I'm fine." He was not fine. Wally didn't know if anything would ever be fine again. He ran as fast as he could, out of the building, away from the sweat and tears and blood blood blood-

"Flash to Justice League. Beam us up." He looked down at Batman. "Don't worry, Bats. We're going home." 

 

 

 

 


End file.
